Press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hall of Famer Bob Gibson to Attend Dedication of Plaque Honoring Dizzy, Daffy Dean Saturday in Hot Springs
Participate in Premiere of ‘The First Boys of Spring’
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas —Legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson will attend the dedication Saturday at 9:30 a.m. of a plaque marking the inclusion of Dizzy and Daffy Dean in the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail. He will then participate at 10 a.m. in the world premiere of “The First Boys of Springs,” a documentary film chronicling the history of Hot Springs as “The Birthplace of Spring Baseball.”
Gibson stepped in Thursday to replace fellow St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Famer Lou Brock, who was scheduled to be in Hot Springs but had to step aside because of a family emergency.
“We are delighted that Bob Gibson found the time to come to Hot Springs for this celebration of baseball’s historic link to our city,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, which is one of the sponsors of documentarian Larry Foley’s “Boys of Spring” film and also created the Historic Baseball Trail.
“Coincidentally, Bob Gibson has just published a wonderful new book, ‘Pitch by Pitch,’ which documents his historic 1968 World Series game in which he struck out 17 Detroit Tigers,” Arrison said. “I’m sure he will be glad to discuss the book during his two appearances in Hot Springs.”
A plaque honoring the Baseball Hall of Fame Dean Brothers — Jay Hanna (Dizzy) and Paul (Daffy) — will be dedicated on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Hill Wheatley Plaza at the south end of Bathhouse Row on Central Avenue.
It will be the 29th stop on the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail.
The plaque dedication will be attended by all of the baseball historians who helped create the Baseball Trail — Bill Jenkinson, Tim Reid, Don Duren, Mike Dugan, and Mark Blaeuer. In addition to Bob Gibson, other special guests will be Sandy Dean and Dorothy Patrick, the son and daughter of Paul (Daffy) Dean.
Immediately following the plaque dedication all are invited to adjourn to the Hot Springs Convention Center to attend the world premiere of “The First Boys of Spring,” the documentary by Emmy Award winner Foley that details the history of baseball spring training in Hot Springs. There will be a panel discussion immediately following the premiere showing featuring Jenkinson, Reid, Duren, Dugan and Blaeuer. It will be moderated by filmmaker Foley.
Gibson, played 17 seasons (1959-1975) for the St. Louis Cardinals, part of that time as a teammate of Brovk.
Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", Gibson tallied 251wins, 3,117 strikeouts and a 2.91 earned run average during his career. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and was the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player. In 1981, he was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Cardinals retired his uniform number 45 in September 1975 and inducted him into the team Hall of Fame in 2014.
Jay Hanna (Dizzy) Dean and his brother Paul (Daffy)Dean were two Arkansans from Lucas, Ark., who became the most famous brother duo in baseball history pitching the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series championship in 1934.
Both were regular visitors to Hot Springs and both coached at the nationally known baseball school that was located in Hot Springs. Paul Dean even lived in Hot Springs during the off-season at one time and his son, Sandy Dean, is still a local resident.
Dizzy Dean was one of only four National League pitchers to win 30 or more games under modern rules. He pitched in two World Series (1934, 1938) for two different teams (St. Louis and Chicago) and led the league in strikeouts for four straight years from 1932 through 1935.
Dizzy Dean, a four time All-Star, won 150 games in his 12 major league seasons with 1,163 strikeouts and a 3.02 career earned run average.
After his playing days were over Dizzy Dean became a popular radio and television announcer. He was the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and the announcer for the CBS and NBC Game of the Week from the 1940s until 1965. Dizzy Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. He died in 1974 at the age of 64.
Daffy Dean broke into the majors in 1934 with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he joined his older brother in leading the team to the World Series Championship.
As a rookie he won 19 games and pitched a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The two brothers combined for 49 victories that year and both won two games in the World Series when the Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers in seven games.
Paul Dean won the third and sixth game of that series while Dizzy won the first and seventh game. Paul Dean won 19 games each of his first two seasons in the major leagues. He played for three major league teams during his career and ended with a 3.72 ERA and a record of 50-34 when he stopped playing in 1943. He died in 1981 at the age of 67.
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